Reactions to the SEC’s decision to move Ole Miss and Oklahoma’s game from Saturday to Sunday have been predictable.
Ole Miss fans have flocked to defend their team while Oklahoma fans are crying foul. Amongst all of that are questions about why the Rebels didn’t fly out of Memphis instead of Tupelo or hop on buses for an eight-hour drive. Because there are a lot of logistic travel experts all of a sudden.
It’s all pointless banter at this point. Like it or not, the decision has been made and now we have to plan for a Sunday morning college football game.
And if given the choice, Ole Miss likely would prefer to play on Saturday instead of Sunday.
Because Sunday morning in Norman, Okla., will be cold, wet and windy.
According to the National Weather Service’s forecast, the chance of rain at the noon kickoff is 75%, with temperatures in the low 40s. Wind is expected to be around 8-14 miles per hour, with gusts reaching as high as 21 mph.
That’s not exactly ideal weather to play in.
Saturday’s forecast, meanwhile, looks considerably more favorable for both teams.
Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-50s around 3 p.m., when the Rebels and Sooners were originally scheduled to kick off. Wind was expected to be about the same, but the chances of rain were much smaller.
The forecast gives a 27% chance of rain Saturday afternoon. That chance rises to 75% by 7 p.m.
There’s no guarantee the game would have stayed dry, but both teams would have had a better chance of avoiding the rain, at least early.
So, Oklahoma fans can continue arguing that Ole Miss got a break by having the game postponed and they’re being treated unfairly.
But if there’s one thing the Rebels didn’t get out of this scheduling change, it’s a break from Mother Nature.
